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Finding A Fresh Perspective In Routine

When I was really young, my parents took us to a church where they did communion every once in a while (I think once every three months). Then we moved from Illinois to New Jersey where my family attended a Presbyterian church. Here had communion once a month (always the first Sunday of the month). At my current church in Pennsylvania, we take communion every Sunday.

Communion is meant to be a special time to remember and reflect on the sacrifice Christ made on the cross – breaking His body and spilling His blood. Paul instructs us In I Corinthians 11:27-29:

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man out to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgement on himself.

I think I may have fallen into a position I don’t want to be in. I had become so used to the routine of communion that I missed out on the important and special nature of this meal. Yesterday, my pastor who was introducing communion took some time to share the importance of communion, and he did it in away that woke me up to the numbness I was probably feeling regarding communion.

I thrive on routine. It’s helpful to have habits and systems, but it’s not good if we forget the importance of why we do the thing in the first place.

I wake up everyday at 4 AM to read God’s Word, to exercise, and to eat breakfast. These are important to keeping me spiritually, emotionally, and physically healthy.

I take communion every week at my church to remind me of the sacrifice Christ made and to keep me centered correctly.

If I forget this, my routine means nothing. I am simply going through the motions. As Paul shared in his first letter to the Corinthians, I am called to examine myself each and every time I take communion.

Maybe it’s time you and I step back from our routines to reflect on what is really important – to look inside – to consider our heart and our motives.

Today, I want to challenge you to take a step back. Look in the mirror. Why do you do what you do day after day and week after week?

Thanks, Matt Silver, for helping me to renew my perspective on communion and on my other routines.

How do you keep a fresh perspective on things that are routine in your life? Tell me your thoughts in the comments.